APPROPRIATION / COMMUNITY PRESERVATION FUND

To see if the Town will vote to make appropriations from the Community Preservation Fund for eligible community preservation projects; for community preservation reserve accounts for historic preservation, open space and recreation, and affordable housing; for Community Preservation Act Committee administrative expenses or other eligible expenses; or take any action related thereto.

Inserted at the request of the Community Preservation Committee

Comment: Recommended votes on this article are divided into three sections: (a) votes to transfer funds to temporary dedicated reserves, as explained in the vote comment; (b) votes on the thirteen CPA projects, and (c) a vote on administrative expenses. The moderator generally elects to address all of the sections in a single vote. 

Unless otherwise indicated in the report on pages 2-9, the CPAC’s votes on recommendations were unanimous.

Part 1: These transfers, taken immediately prior to the CPA project appropriation votes that follow, ensure that the Town complies with the state legal requirement to either appropriate or reserve at least 10% of estimated annual CPA revenues (est. $2,387,107) in each of the three CPA project areas.

Although these transferred funds are immediately recommended for appropriation in their entirety in the next vote, this action ensures that the Town maintains compliance should Town Meeting reduce or reject the recommended appropriations or does not become retroactively out of compliance with state law should any approved project not proceed as planned. (In such an event, the reserved funds would remain in or be returned to the dedicated account for future appropriation in that CPA project area.)

Part 2: The CPAC recommends the listed CPA projects to Town Meeting for FY2026 funding, having carefully vetted each application for compliance with the CPA law, feasibility, importance, cost justification, sustainability and other criteria.

Part 3: These expenses are explained on page 9 of the Community Preservation Act Committee Report.

Finance Committee Vote: 16-0-2

Finance Committee Comment: The Finance Committee endorses the projects recommended by the Community Preservation Committee.  

NOTE: a typo has been corrected in the vote language, Section 2, part (b) to change references to the Housing Corporation of Arlington to the Affordable Housing Trust Fund. 

(1) That the Town take the following actions regarding dedicated CPA project area reserves:

a) Transfer the sum of $238,711 from FY2026 Community Preservation Fund revenues to a CPA Open Space and Recreation Reserve account, for later Town Meeting appropriation for open space and recreational land purposes; and
b) Transfer the sum of $238,711 from FY2026 Community Preservation Fund revenues to a CPA Historic Preservation Reserve account for later Town Meeting appropriation for historic preservation purposes; and
c) Transfer the sum of $238,711 from FY2026 Community Preservation Fund revenues to a CPA Community Housing Reserve account for later Town Meeting appropriation for community housing purposes.

(2) That the Town take the following actions to appropriate funds for FY2026 CPA projects, with each project considered a separate appropriation:
a) Appropriate the sum of $275,132 from the Community Preservation Fund revenues for the Winslow Tower Fire Alarm Upgrade project for the preservation of community housing, subject to the condition that a grant agreement between the Arlington Housing Authority and the Town be executed, said funds to be expended under the direction of the Arlington Housing Authority and the Community Preservation Act Committee;
b) Appropriate the sum of $545,125.50 from the Community Preservation Fund revenues for the Affordable Housing Trust Fund project for the creation of community housing, with $238,711 being appropriated from the Community Housing Reserve Account and $306,414.50 being appropriated from Community Preservation Fund revenues, subject to the condition that a grant agreement between the Affordable Housing Trust Fund and the Town be executed, said funds to be expended under the direction of the Affordable Housing Trust Fund and the Community Preservation Act Committee;
c) Appropriate the sum of $50,000 from the Community Preservation Fund revenues for the Public Lands Tree Survey project for the preservation of open space, said funds to be expended under the direction of the Department of Planning and Community Development and the Community Preservation Act Committee;
d) Appropriate the sum of $75,000 from the Community Preservation Fund revenues for the Urban Wilds Initiative project for the preservation of open space, said funds to be expended under the direction of the Department of Planning and Community Development and the Community Preservation Act Committee;
e) Appropriate the sum of $250,000 from the Community Preservation Fund revenues for the McClennen Park Community Garden project for the creation of open space, said funds to be expended under the direction of the Recreation Department / Arlington Park and Recreation Commission and the Community Preservation Act Committee;
f) Appropriate the sum of $545,125.50 from Community Preservation Fund revenues for the McClennen Skate Park project for the restoration and rehabilitation of recreational land, with $238,711 being appropriated from the Open Space and Recreation Reserve Account and $306,414.50 being appropriated from Community Preservation Fund revenues, said funds to be expended under the direction of the Recreation Department / Arlington Park and Recreation Commission and the Community Preservation Act Committee;
g) Appropriate the sum of $75,972 from Community Preservation Fund revenues for the Archives Preservation – Digitizing and Rehousing project for the preservation of historic resources, subject to the condition that a grant agreement between the Cyrus Dallin Art Museum and the Town be executed, said funds to be expended under the direction of the Cyrus Dallin Art Museum and the Community Preservation Act Committee;
h) Appropriate the sum of $25,000 from Community Preservation Fund revenues for the Arlington Veterans Oral History Project for the preservation of historic resources, said funds to be expended under the direction of the Veterans Services Department and the Community Preservation Act Committee;
i) Appropriate the sum of $4,500 from Community Preservation Fund revenues for the Jason Russell House Chimney Capping project for the preservation of historic resources, subject to the condition that a grant agreement between the Arlington Historical Society and the Town be executed, said funds to be expended under the direction of the Arlington Historical Society and the Community Preservation Act Committee;
j) Appropriate the sum of $500,000 from Community Preservation Fund revenues for the Parmenter Exterior Preservation project for the preservation of historic resources, with $238,711 being appropriated from the Historic Preservation Reserve Account and $261,289 being appropriated from Community Preservation Fund revenues, said funds to be expended under the direction of the Town of Arlington and the Community Preservation Act Committee;
k) Appropriate the sum of $300,000 from Community Preservation Fund revenues for the Town Hall Building Envelope project for the preservation of historic resources, said funds to be expended under the direction of the Town of Arlington and the Community Preservation Act Committee;


(3) That the Town take the following action regarding administrative expenses:

 
Appropriate $72,000 from FY2026 Community Preservation Fund revenues to the CPA Administrative Expenses account for eligible FY2026 administrative expenses, such funds to be expended under the direction of the Community Preservation Act Committee.

Community Preservation Act Committee Report

Finance Committee Report

Presentation, Susan Doctrow, Precinct 21